Inner Child, Outer Child
by Freezyboncoolipants
Summary: Winner at The Potential Awards site. Season 4 kidfic. Chapter 13 up: Fred finds herself growing more attracted to Wes after an innocent comment from his five year old clone, and Mini Fred decides she's not cut out to be a superhero. Short chapter.
1. Our Little Cordy

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author's note: This takes place after season four's "Spin The Bottle"

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The day had started out like any other normal day; 

Angel was still brooding, mainly about Connor, but with a pinch of Cordelia thrown into the mix ...

**_"We should probably get you back home."_**

**_"Actually, I'd like to stay here. With Connor."_**

... But then again, when the one you love "shacks up with your Hell-spawn", as Lorne would put it, then who could really blame Angel for being less than thrilled.

Wesley was only just starting to get welcomed back to the team ...

_**"I had my throat cut and all my friends abandoned me."**_

... and it was still trouble in paradise for the Hyperion's own Romeo and Juliet, Fred and Gunn.

"**_We don't talk. We sleep on opposite sides of the bed. We haven't even touched each other since ..."_**

**_"Since we murdered Professor Seidel."_**

But even so, that still added up to a normal day at Angel Investigations.

However, there was one tiny difference.

Fresh from his less than pleasant encounter with Wolfram and Hart, Lorne had started work again almost immediately, desperate to earn back the information he'd lost, and had soon been proud to admit:

"My first reading since I got my head drilled, and I find the spell that's gonna bring our little Cordy right back to us."

And despite Angel's uncertainty, "Spells ... I don't trust them," Cordelia had been eager to try any method of getting her memory back, even an uncertain one.

In Lorne's defense, the spell worked perfectly, restoring her memory in an easy and pain free way, doing exactly what it was supposed to, but it was rare for even the most powerful wicca to discover a flawless spell, and this was no exception. Something always tended to go wrong, and what Lorne hadn't realised was, when he'd said "bring our little Cordy right back to us," the word "little" had been literal.

So, although the team could safely say that nobody had amnesia anymore, they were still left with six problems.

Six pint sized problems.

And that's when the day stopped being normal.

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TBC: I hope you liked my first chapter. It's a slightly different writing style than I normally use, so I'm not really sure about it yet. Please review! 


	2. Five Times Five

Disclaimer: I own nothing and nobody.

Author's note: If you're confused, then things will get explained in further chapters, but just remember that Angel Investigations is just as confused. I've changed the style now, coz I'm starting the story, and it's not the introduction anymore. Hope you all like it!

Vote For Lilah: Thanks for your review.

Fred-V-Illyria: I wasn't too sure about the flashbacks, so thanks.

Gigi13: I'll try and explain about the six in further chapters, but in "Spin The Bottle", we didn't get much of an explanation. Thanks for reviewing.

Eve565: Pleased you like it.

PassionateDarkness: Thanks for your review.

Wesfan1234: Yep. That's exactly what happened, except the older versions are still around. Expect confusion! :-)

Silvi-hc: I'm pleased you're reading my fic, and I hope you like this chapter.

Miss69: OMG! I actually persuaded you to read one of my fics before I'd finished it! That's gotta be a first, (well, apart from RTVSS) Thanks for reviewing, and I can't wait for more Cartoon Land!

ReganX: As you'll find out in this chapter, I did change things from the episode, so rather than having them turn into kids, the kids are kinda there as well as the adult people. I really can't explain things well, but I think it makes sense. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"What's going on?!" Cordelia demanded. 

Her head swam with images from the past and present, flying around her head in no particular order. She hated it. She hated what she remembered about herself. She hated the confusion it brought. And she hated the fact that there were six children she didn't know. So if she didn't know them, then the spell couldn't have worked. Her memory couldn't be back. And everything she was seeing couldn't have happened.

Tears of confusion pricked at her eyes as more and more memories filled her head. More memories which she couldn't be sure were true.

"I need to be alone." And with that, she turned and ran out the room.

Angel watched her leave in concern, his eyes flicking from the spot where she was, to the children, two girls, three boys, and a small Pylean demon, and then back to the spot.

"Cordelia?!"

Lorne put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave her, Angelcakes," he said gently, indicating to the six restless children. "I think we have a few bigger problems."

No sooner had the words left Lorne's mouth, one of the "problems" stood up and marched over to Angel, her long dark hair flowing in perfect curls down her back, striking a pose unnatural for a girl of five years, with one hand on her hip.

"Did you just call her Cordelia?" the child demanded, not at all worried by her strange surroundings.

Angel nodded, surprise taking over his power of speech.

"That's my name too," she told him with an angelic smile. "And I shouldn't talk to you coz you're a stranger, and mommy says never to talk to strangers, but daddy says I'm a princess, and I think that princesses should be able to talk to whoever they want."

Angel's mouth dropped open, as did everyone else's. The little girl noticed and smiled; she got that reaction a lot.

"Is your friend a princess too?" Mini-Cordy went on to ask, her eyes lighting up.

Wesley stepped in to answer, being the only one not hypnotized with amazement. "Why, no Cordelia, I'm afraid she isn't."

A slight scowl appeared across the little girl's face, she'd been excited at the idea, but her heart melting smile was soon back. "It's ok," she reassured the small group of adults. "I expect I'm just better than her." Happy with her decision, little Cordelia nodded to herself. "Not everyone can be a princess, you see."

Aware of a tug at her leg, Fred looked down to see a small dark skinned boy, with a teddy clutched to his chest, and his thumb firmly in his mouth.

Fred's eyes widened as she turned to Gunn, and then back again, while the child introduced himself.

"My name is Charlie," he said shyly, with his thumb causing a slight lisp. "And this is my teddy."

Everyone turned to face Gunn with a mixture of shock and amusement, nobody had ever imagined him as such a sweet little child. It just hadn't seemed possible.

"Can I be a princess too?" Charlie asked the pretty five year old Cordelia, his eyes peering nervously at her over his teddy.

Gunn almost laughed, quickly turning it into a cough. "I know I didn't just say what I think I said!" he choked. "I mean, I know he didn't just say what I think he said." Gunn corrected in total embarrassment. "Wesley?"

Two Wesley's looked up at Gunn, both of them eager to help, while Cordelia informed Charlie that boys couldn't be princesses, because they're "yucky".

"Big Wesley," Gunn confirmed, causing the smaller version to get a hurt expression on his face and look down at his feet.

"Well, these children do appear to be us," Wesley explained helpfully, although stating the obvious. "Lorne's spell must have done something ... "

"So you got nothing?" Gunn guessed correctly.

Wesley nodded.

"Spell?!" A shocked and frightened voice rang out from the crowd of children. "Who are you people?!" it continued in a state of panic. Liam. Backing away towards the stairs, the little boy shielded his hands across his face. "What world is this?!"

"He doesn't understand," Angel realised. "He's not from our time."

Lorne stepped towards the child cautiously. "Hey there, Pudding, what's ... "

Liam looked up at the green face in front of him, and screamed, stumbling as he ran further away from the strange people. "Demon!" he cried fearfully, shaking his head in disbelief. "Father said the demons would come for me."

Cordelia stamped her foot angrily. "Shut up!" she demanded, and strangely enough, Liam fell silent. Charlie backed away from her though, clinging to his teddy even tighter.

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!" she continued, before explaining calmly, "I'm from Sunnydale, and I know what's going on." Folding her arms and shaking her dark curls, Cordy turned to Lorne accusingly. "And I know what you are. You're a ... "

"Alien, right?" came a small Texan voice, as five year old Fred interrupted with her theories. "I always knew they were real."

"That's my girl," Gunn grinned, putting his arm around the older version. Fred flinched under his touch and moved away. Gunn's face fell.

"Mommy doesn't think aliens are real, and she doesn't think I know what five times five is, and I do. I do." Little Fred insisted. "So mommy doesn't know a lot really."

Everyone looked surprised at this, not Fred's ability to do math, they'd known she was smart, but the fact that Trish didn't believe in aliens. After the quick adjustment the Burkle's had made with demons, they had seemed likely to believe in anything.

"But I know lots of things. I know my name is Winifred Burkle, and I know I love my mommy and daddy like pancakes, even if they think aliens are pretend, and I know that five times five is twenty-five, and I know that taco's are yummy, and ..." she finished, pointing to Lorne. "I know what you are."

Turning suddenly, the five year old noticed yet another green skinned person. A smaller green skinned person.

Feeling uncomfortable under the stare of a cow-slave, said green skinned person stood up. "My name is Krevlornswath of the Deathwok clan, and ... "

Lorne immediately stepped forward to stop his younger self.

"Hey there, Pumpkin Pie," he said cheerfully. "Why don't we just call you Krev."

Narrowing his eyes, the newly named Krev nodded, and sat back down, not liking his surroundings and the amount of cow-slaves.

Mini-Fred's eyes lit up, as the perfect idea came to her. "Can I dissect you?"

* * *

TBC: I hope you liked this chapter, there'll be more coming soon. Please review!

I just wanna add: It's exactly two weeks till my birthday!!! Yay! Then I'll be 15! And yeah I know it's a bit early to be getting excited, but I go back to school tomorrow, so my birthday's the only thing to look forward to!


	3. Dance Of Joy

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Disclaimer: I own nothing. 

Author's note: Wow! This story has given me the most reviews I've ever had for only two chapters! Thanks! The only problem now is, seeing how everyone seems to like my story, I'm now under pressure to make sure you keep liking it! So please review, to stop me worrying about the interest fading.

Thanks to:

Vote For Lilah, Fred-V-Illyria, Silvi-hc, Bloody Rot, Kitty-Kat12, Cayt, PassionateDarkness, Spana, Gigi13, Evelyne, Kitten, Tess La Calme, Wesfan1234, Charmed-angel4, Miss69, Bixy, Nookyfiction, and ReganX

... For reviewing my previous chapters.

I hope you like this one. Sorry it's so short, but I'll update soon.

* * *

Lorne's eyes grew wide, as Little Fred looked up at him and then at Krev, a plan already forming. 

"No. No. No," he said firmly, feeling slightly threatened by a five year old. "There will be no dissecting."

Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes, as the pint sized physicist decided now would be a good time for a tantrum.

"Uh oh," Fred mouthed, noticing her younger self's bottom lip start shaking dramatically. She remembered these outbursts well, usually coming after being caught drawing on walls, and knew what to expect.

Strangely though, no tears came, no shouting, and no stamping of feet. The little girl had been distracted. However, she wasn't the only one. All eyes were on Krev, as the small demon began moving in a way which could only be described as dancing, at a long shot.

Mini-Fred watched in amazement. Not only had she found an alien, but she'd found a dancing alien, something she didn't think she'd discover until she was a lot older, at least six.

Liam fought back another scream as he watched the demon participate in what could only be the evil ritual his father had mentioned, for bad little boys. He brought his knees up to his chest; he'd never thought the demons would actually come for him.

Krev's movement was having a similar effect on Charlie, however the small dark skinned boy had chosen to hide his fear literally, by standing behind Cordelia, who was obviously not happy with that level of closeness and was attempting to push him away without actually causing contact. Boys were disgusting after all, and if her friend Harmony found out that Cordelia Chase had touched one ...

"What is he doing?" Angel asked, leaning over to Lorne, as Krev added a few kicks into his routine.

The five year old demon threw his arms into the air. "There will be no dissecting," he cheered, bouncing from one leg to the other.

"I believe," Wesley explained. "He is doing the dance of joy."

* * *

TBC: Very short chapter I know!! Sorry about that, but it's kinda late, and I have school in the morning. I'll update soon, so please review!! Oh, and yes, Little Wesley is gonna have screen time real soon, I promise!! 


	4. Shiny Things

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one.

Author's note: I included Wesley in this chapter. Yay me! I've also updated "What's That Smell", and I'm working on a chapter of "Reality TV: Scooby Style" although that probably won't be on till tomorrow.

It's my fifteenth birthday today! Yay! If you've read "What's That Smell", then you'll already know this, but I don't care, lol. Reviews make good presents, hint hint!

Thanks to:

Kitty-kat12, Tess LaCalme, Wesfan1234, silvi-hc, Little Illy, Marcus Lazarus, Cayt, Evelyne, Kitten, nookyfiction, Vote For Lilah, Charmed-angel4, debbie, and Fred-V-Illyria.

... for reviewing my previous chapter.

* * *

" ... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." 

Lilah Morgan snapped her cell phone shut and turned back to her computer screen. One click of the mouse and hundreds of small pictures re-appeared, in no particular order, but each containing the same image. A five year old boy. Liam.

A noise from behind made Lilah turn sharply, making sure to hide her new found information as she did so.

"Gavin."

Her associate smiled smugly, having been standing there quite some time, pictures of Liam planted firmly in his mind.

"How do you find these things out so quickly?" he asked, not at all interested in the answer.

"How do you keep getting into my office?" she retorted, folding her arms impatiently.

Gavin smiled again, the smile which made Lilah's blood boil, although not literally, unlike an unfortunate incident with a client a few weeks back.

"I guess not all of us can sleep with the Angel Investigation employees ..."

Lilah froze for a second.

" ... some of us have to use other ways of getting information."

"I don't think that's any of your business," Lilah snapped, with more emotion that she'd planned.

"Don't you?" Gavin replied, noticing her unusual uncomfort and loving it. "Do you want to know what I think?"

Lilah stood up, her arms still folded. "No, not really," she said coolly, giving him a look which was enough to strike terror into the hearts of even the most fearful clients. "Now, Gavin, as much as I'd love you to stay and chat, oh wait, I really wouldn't," she laughed softly, "If you'll excuse me, some people have work to do."

Leaving Gavin standing there, she sat back at her desk, continuing as if he wasn't even in sight.

"Oh, and Gavin," she looked up, as if suddenly realising he hadn't left. "Close the door on your way out."

* * *

"So," Gunn started, looking at the six children, sitting on the floor perfectly still, and silent. 

"They're quiet," Wesley whispered, leaning slightly towards Fred.

"Too quiet," she agreed.

Angel had gone to find Cordelia, worried about leaving her alone after Lorne's spell, and feeling guilty at having left it so long, before going after her.

Mini-Cordelia, seeing him leave, had been determined to follow him, after all, she was in a new place, probably full of shiny things to play with, and she was just waiting for the perfect moment to slip away.

"Should we say something?" Fred asked Gunn, continuing their conversation about the uneasy silence of the children. Even Krev was quiet, no signs of the dancing demon available, just six plotting children, each planning a way to escape the watch of the adults.

Five year old Wesley had been the quietest of the bunch, his head firmly in a book from the moment he'd arrived. The strange place frightened him, but he'd never admit it. Father said little boys didn't get scared, especially little boys who wanted to go to the Watcher's Academy. Wesley didn't want to become a watcher, he didn't want to be taken away from home, but it would make Father proud, and Wesley wanted that more that anything else in the world, even ice cream.

Little Fred's eyes bore into the back of Krev's skull, she just knew that the alien would be perfect for her experiments. She'd never had an alien before. Her mommy and daddy had said she could, but they were only pretending, coz they didn't think aliens were real, but they were. Fred had proof.

Liam loosened his tight grip of his knees, he hated this world and it's demons, he wanted to go home. He'd learnt his lesson, he'd never sin again, ever.

Keeping a close eye on the three people standing with the demon, Liam stood up and edged quietly towards the door, before slipping out into the cold air.

"Liam's gone!" Charlie shouted in concern, causing everyone to rush to the door in panic.

Mini-Cordelia, seeing her chance, raced out of the room and up the stairs, her hair flowing behind her as she ran. Charlie followed the princess, longing to play too.

Little Fred giggled and grabbed Krev's hand. "Do you wanna play dissection?" she whispered, pulling the terrified demon away, while the members of Angel Investigations called outside for Liam.

Only Wesley remained, still sitting cross legged on the floor, while the other five disappeared throughout the hotel.

* * *

TBC: The six children each discover trouble, while exploring without supervision.

Please review!


	5. The Flying Taco

Disclaimer: Joss owns all. Bow down to Joss, and then when you've finished bowing, make up a cool, humorous disclaimer, and pretend it's mine. 

Author's note: Wow, it's been over a month since I've updated! Sorry for the wait!

Thanks to ...

Kitty-Kat12, Nookyfiction, Si.Crazy, Silvi-hc, Marcus Lazarus, PassionateDarkness, Eve565, Wesfan1234, AbiSnocom, dannysmith, Moony's Chewtoy, MisFaith1026, and Mysticwolf1

... For reviewing the previous chapter.

Little Illy: Thanks for reviewing, and thanks for pointing out "uncomfort". I'm always making up words and then thinking they're real. lol. Like in "RTVSS" I used the word "reluction" and then got told it didn't exist.

* * *

Five year old Cordelia turned around angrily as she heard footsteps behind her. She'd planned on going exploring alone, alone meaning with no yucky boys. Cordy glared at the small boy who was smiling at her with such admiration. 

"Why are you following me?" She demanded.

Charlie looked down at the floor, his thumb still in his mouth. "I just wanted to play Princesses," he lisped shyly.

"Princesses isn't something you play," she told him firmly, despite it being her favourite game. "Princesses is something you are." The little girl smiled suddenly, and flicked her long dark hair over her shoulders. "Like me."

He nodded with a disappointed look on his face, but continued following her anyway. She sighed loudly and deliberately, but her annoyance was soon forgotten as the pair reached a door with muffled words coming from behind it. Cordelia pushed it open gently, and stuck her head inside.

An elder Cordelia sat on the bed, with Angel beside her. "I remember all of it," she said quietly, avoiding eye contact, as Lorne's memory spell continued to send images flying around her mind. "All of it."

The five year old girl watched in silence. "That lady has the same name as me," she whispered to Charlie, remembering her from earlier. Unable to see into the room, the little boy dropped onto his hands and knees, and crawled slightly under Mini-Cordelia's legs to get a better view.

"Hey!" she cried loudly, desperately trying to get away from him, causing them both to fall through the door and land in an uncomfortable heap. "Daddy says that's not a nice place for boys to have their heads!"

Despite the seriousness of his conversation, Angel couldn't help but laugh at that comment and the fact that there were two eavesdropping children in a pile on his floor, neither of which he had expected.

* * *

"This is so not good," Fred whispered, wrapping her arms around her body in a bid to keep warm. 

"Right there with you, Pumpkin," Lorne agreed, as Wesley shone a torch around the grounds of the Hyperion, in a desperate attempt to find Liam. The four were already panicking, with good reason too, not only did they have six children on their hands, completely unresearched, but they'd already lost one.

"This is so not good," Fred repeated.

"It's past 'not good'" Gunn exclaimed, keeping his eyes peeled for traces of the boy. "It's verging on bad. Really bad."

"How much do we even know about the Munchkins?" Lorne asked, calling "Liam," loudly in between talking to Wesley. "They arrived after my mystic-mess-up, they look like us, sound like us, act like us, but are they?"

"It wouldn't be the first time a spell had gone wrong," Wes admitted, "But are they clones of our younger selves, or ..."

"So you're saying that somewhere in the seventeen-whatever's, right now, Angel's family might be missing a five year old boy?" Gunn interrupted.

Wes nodded. "It is a possibility." Seeing Fred's immediate concern that her own parents might too be missing a child, he quickly added, "Although not a likely one." Pausing to shine the torch into a bush, he continued. "While it is possible for people to be ripped out of their time dimension, it takes strong magic. A simple spell like Lorne's, is unlikely to have been able to cause that to happen in this case."

"So they're only clones of our younger selves?" Fred asked, still calling Liam's name along with Lorne.

"I'd have to research it, but yes, that seems the most likely explanation."

"Talking of the Kiddo's," Lorne began, "Shouldn't one of us be watching them?"

They all stopped automatically, and looked back at where they'd come from.

"Damn!"

* * *

Wesley sat on the floor, still reading, still cross legged. The disappearance of the other children had confused him, but yet he kept reading. Father had said he'd amount to nothing if he didn't study to become a watcher, nothing but a worthless son who couldn't pay his own way in the world. 

Glancing up from his book, the little boy took a good look at his surroundings for the first time, he'd been too scared to do so before. Almost immediately his eyes fell onto the weapons cabinet, and he felt himself automatically become drawn to the shiny inviting contents. Surely it wouldn't hurt just to get up and look at them?

"Focus," he told himself sharply, the one word causing him to sound older than his five years. Forcing his eyes back into the book, he pushed the temptation to the back of his mind, and tried to keep reading. It took only a few seconds, and then he was on his feet and at the cabinet, the desire to play with weapons too much for him to fight, after all, if he was going to become a watcher, then he'd need experience.

Standing on the tips of his toes, Little Wes reached for the handle, his small fingers barely reaching it, just as Gunn burst through the door. The watcher-to-be sighed and sat back at his book, the weapons would just have to wait for a while.

"S'only English Junior," Gunn called back, to the three people behind him, who were getting even more panicked after discovering they'd lost five of the kids, not just one.

Wesley's predictable sigh was interrupted by Liam hurtling through the doors at an impossibly high speed. "Demons," he cried fearfully, pointing outside to the road. "Shiny demons!"

* * *

"I don't like your hair," Little Cordelia said cheerfully, perching herself on the bed. 

The older Cordelia patted her short blonde locks self consciously, surprised at the small girl's bluntness. "Oh?"

"You need to have long hair, like mine," She explained, shaking her head vigorously to prove her point, dark wavy hair flying around her face.

Charlie shook his head too, twice as hard, "Mine doesn't do that," he said softly.

Angel smiled at him. "No, it doesn't," he agreed.

"Mine used to," Cordelia admitted, her hand still on her head.

"Well, why did you cut it?" The little girl demanded, with her hands on her hips. "Did your mommy make you?" She asked sympathetically, suddenly realising that perhaps it hadn't been her choice. "My mommy says I never have to cut mine, if I don't want to."

Angel looked up at the mention of parents, unsure of what to say to the small Cordy, but luckily Wesley entering the room meant neither of them needed to reply.

The flustered watcher breathed a sigh of relief. "That's four of them then," he muttered to himself, as he left the room to find the only two children unaccounted for: Little Fred, and Krev.

* * *

"There will be no dissecting, there will be no dissecting, there will ..." Krev repeated over and over, as he was pulled roughly along by Fred. The little Texan was only small, but she was surprisingly strong. 

Fred put a finger to her lips. "It's not gonna hurt," she whispered, dragging him down some steps into some sort of basement, which coincidently happened to be full of sharp looking blades. "It'll be fun," she insisted, her eyes lighting up at the room. It was better than all her dreams put together, even the one about the flying taco, which had been her favourite.

Krev gulped loudly and considered running away, but Fred still had her hand in his, and he was frightened of the girl's strength, even if that was a disgraceful thing to admit. His mother would make him sit on the maggot pile if she ever heard him admit to such a terrible thing. Cows were for slaves, they were not to be feared.

Mini-Fred reached up and grabbed a blade off of the wall. This was to be her first dissection, her first real one anyway. One time, she tried to dissect her toy bunny Feigenbaum, but the stuffing had all fallen out, making Fred cry. She was sure that wouldn't happen this time, aliens didn't have stuffing as far as she knew.

* * *

Angel entered the lobby slightly down. Cordelia had left to join Connor, both her memory returning and the thought of six children, proved too much for her to handle, so she'd gone back to Angel's son, despite his pleadings. 

Four children and four adults greeted him, little Cordy and Charlie having joined the others shortly after Wesley found them. Angel didn't even think to ask about the other two kids, but Wes assured him that they would be straight on it.

"Angel," the sarcastically pleasant voice he had learnt to recognise as Lilah's, echoed behind him.

"Lilah" he said dryly, as Fred ushered the children gently, but quickly, behind the couch.

"I see you've got the place looking ..." she began, scanning the room quickly, her eyes falling on Wesley for a second, and then snapping right back to the vampire in question.

"Cut the crap," Angel said impatiently. "Why are you here?"

* * *

TBC: Sorry about the long wait, I'm full of ideas at the moment though, so I'm hoping to update again soon! Next chapter: Lilah has a proposition for Angel. 

Please review!


	6. Taste The Blood

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one.

Thanks to: AngelVamp, MysticWolf1, Little Illy, Nookyfiction, Wesfan1234, Kitty-Kat12, MisFaith1029, Fred-V-Illyria, Vote For Lilah, and Marcus Lazarus, for reviewing.

* * *

"As you know, Angel," Lilah began, both eyes firmly on the vampire, her back deliberately facing Wesley. "You're a major player in the apocalypse."

Angel rolled his eyes; he'd heard that speech thousands of times before. "Get to the point, Lilah."

She smiled confidently. "What if I told you we could change that? What if I told you you'd never hear from us again?"

"I'd say, get the Hell out," Angel said in a threatening tone, however not raising his voice at all. He'd had enough of Wolfram and Hart's plans in the past, and wanted nothing to do with this one.

"Come on," she said, her voice almost laughing at him, "I have something you want. You have something I want," she paused and turned her head to where Liam was quite obviously watching, from behind the couch. "A 'trade' if you like."

Fred grabbed Liam and pulled him out of sight. Making sure that Mini Cordy, Wes, and Charlie, were still hidden, she whispered in his ear. "Where's Krev?"

He looked at her blankly.

"Krev," she said again, desperate for a way to get the little boy away from Lilah. "I need you to find him." Fred gave Liam a gentle nudge, and he ran out of the room, and away from the lawyer's sharp eyes.

The adult Wesley gave Fred a quick smile of appreciation, and she felt a familiar sinking feeling in her stomach, the way she always did after seeing the ex-watcher. Fred knew how he felt about her, and she loved feeling wanted. Not that Gunn didn't want her, quite the opposite in fact, but it just wasn't the same, and it left her with that confused, sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Two Angel's in this world," Lilah reminded the vampire. "Why don't you let us take one off your hands?"

"No." Angel said firmly, at the same time as little Cordy shouted, "He's not Angel, he's Liam."

Lilah ignored the five year olds out burst; it wasn't her she wanted, it was Liam. She'd done a lot of research in a matter of only a few hours, and despite the original disappointment of discovering that the kids were only clones of the Fang Gang, Lilah had soon perked up after realising that it made no difference. If something happened to the children, then it happened to the adult, whether the kids were copies or not.

So if she could just get hold of Liam, then the Senior Partners would have Angel exactly where they wanted him.

"Isn't about time you were going?" Gunn spoke up, leaving no room for argument.

Obediently Lilah moved closer to the door, taking a sneaked glance at one of her many cameras around the Hyperion, and smiling inwardly that Wolfram and Hart's new hi-tech design, meant that not even Lorne could hear the buzzing, which was what went wrong last time.

"Think about my little proposition, Angel," she said calmly, as she watched Fred emerge from behind the couch. An unusual feeling crept into the lawyer as she saw Fred smile at Wesley. If she hadn't known better, she would have said it was jealousy, but Lilah Morgan wasn't the kind of person to get jealous, after all, her whole job required no emotion. She turned and left.

* * *

Little Fred smiled sweetly at Krev, the blade gripped tightly in her hand. She prayed that aliens really didn't have stuffing, as she stepped towards him, because that would have been disgusting.

Suddenly she paused; she'd seen lots of people being dissected on TV before, when her mommy and daddy thought she was sleeping. After all, when there were Government conspiracies going on, it was only right for Fred to learn all about them.

The little girl ran her eyes around the surroundings, everything she'd seen on TV had taken place in a dark room. Well, she had one of those. And there was always creepy music being played in the background, which was something she didn't have. Mini Fred sighed; if she wanted it to be done properly, then she'd need to find a radio.

Krev took this time to try and escape, however just as he reached the top step, he was drawn back down again by an amazing sound. Music. He'd only ever heard noises like that in his head. He'd thought he was crazy. He'd even been told he was crazy. But the almost hypnotic sound was real and the little demon could hardly believe it.

Fred watched him in his trance like state, and decided it would be the best chance she'd get. The five year old dragged the blade down his stomach, just as Liam tumbled down the steps, having found them like he'd been instructed. His mind went straight to the radio, with a cry of "Tiny Minstrels!"

Krev screamed in pain as blood began to drip from the wound. In reality it was only a scratch, but the small demon howled as if he was dying, which he honestly believed he was.

Fred's eyes widened and she backed away in horror at what she'd done. Aliens weren't meant to bleed. She stumbled into the corner, with tears streaming down her cheeks. Aliens weren't meant to bleed.

Liam however, continued shaking the "tiny minstrels" in amazement, paying no attention to his chaotic surroundings.

* * *

"Jumping Judas on a unicycle," Lorne cried in confusion, as a red patch began seeping through his blue silk shirt.

Everyone looked at each other with shock, and then realisation. "Krev!"

* * *

Connor gently brushed a strand of hair out of Cordelia's eyes. "You should rest," he told her softly.

She shook her head. "I'm ok," she insisted, avoiding eye contact.

"You haven't slept since you came back," he continued, still softly, concerned for her.

Cordy looked up at him suddenly. "I saw something," she explained quietly, lowering her eyes again, as if ashamed to say it. "I didn't just get back my memory, I got something else. Something horrible."

Connor grabbed her hand. "What?" he asked gently, already worried, but not wanting to put pressure on her.

Her eyes glazed over and Connor jumped slightly, still keeping his hold on her hand. "I can taste the blood of all the people it's going to kill." Her eyes coloured again, and a tear escaped from one of them.

"It's ok," Connor told her. "You're safe with me."

"No one's safe. Don't you understand that?" She pulled her hand away from his and stood up dramatically. "I want to warn Angel, but the words won't come out," another tear rolled down her cheek, and Connor hugged her awkwardly. "Why can't I tell him?"

* * *

Angel and Lorne arrived in the basement faster than they'd ever thought possible, with Fred, Wesley, Gunn, and the kids, right behind them.

Lorne went straight to Krev, scooping him up into his arms, and carrying the screaming demon out of the room, and to some sort of first aid, even though it was only a scratch. Fred might have been strong, but she wasn't strong enough to cause any real damage. Mini Cordy watched them leave, fascinated by it, and curious to find out what would happen next. Maybe the demon would die, like they did in Sunnydale. She quickly chased after them, with Charlie following her like normal.

Little Wes noticed yet more weapons on the walls, and longed to reach out and take them, they just looked so shiny and fun. The grown-ups wouldn't be very happy though, and they might tell Father, who would be very cross. Wesley didn't want that to happen at all, so instead he turned to Liam, who was still staring at the radio. Wes smiled shyly and turned it off.

"You made the tiny men stop singing," Liam announced in awe.

Fred gasped as she saw her younger self huddled in the corner, tears running down her cheeks, with a pen in one hand.

Angel and Gunn rushed to the little girl, who had managed to fill most of her corner with strange sums and letters, in only a short amount of time. Angel carried her out, ushering little Wes and Liam along too. The radio went with them.

Fred sighed with disbelief, she'd always been a curious child, not blood thirsty as some might say, but always curious to descover more. She'd never have thought Mini Fred would have taken her obsession so far. She could still hear the little girl's sobs as Angel carried her upstairs.

Gunn came and put his arm around her, and once again she felt a confused, sinking feeling. "I'm gonna take a bath," she said, ducking out from under his arm.

"Oh," Gunn's face fell as he realised she meant a bath alone. "Yeah, ok."

Fred sighed again, although no longer with disbelief, but more with sadness and regret. "Can we not do this?"

"You mean have a meaningful conversation, the way that two people who love each other are supposed to?"

Fred looked down at the floor. "Fine. We'll do this."

* * *

"I can feel it," Cordelia pushed Connor away with terrified force. "It's almost here."

* * *

Author's note: If you haven't seen series four, then this story is about to get a lot more confusing! lol

Please review!


	7. Blinding Red Light

Author's note: Sorry about the long wait!

Thanks to, nookyfiction, MysticWolf1, Darklight, Wesfan1234, ReganX, Baysidegal and Alavons Child, for reviewing my last chapter.

A special thanks to Little Illy for your really amazing long review! Thanks!

* * *

"Snakes?" Lorne questioned, using his shoulder to hold the phone against his ear, as he attempted putting some sort of bandage around Krev's scratched stomach. "And they came out of your what?" 

Little Cordy and Charlie watched the two demons closely, Cordelia, because she always had to know what was going on, and Charlie, so he could sneak looks at the dark haired girl next to him occasionally, without her noticing.

"Do you think Krev will die?" Charlie lisped quietly, his thumb in his mouth.

Cordelia nodded seriously. "Probably," she told him, not sounding the least bit upset about her confident prediction.

"Hold still, Muffin," Lorne told the wriggling demon, who still believed his wound was worse than it really was. "No not you, Ma'am," he quickly informed the lady on the phone with a nervous laugh.

Cordy giggled. "Where do you think the snakes are coming out of?" she asked, her eyes gleaming mischeiviously.

Liam looked over at the five year old, grinned at her question, and whispered a response in little Wesley's ear. Wes stopped his detailed explanation of how to work a radio, which Liam had been trying to follow, and started laughing. The first time he'd actually laughed in quite a while.

"Do we fight snakes?" Lorne called across to Angel, who was busy with a tearful Fred.

"Only if they're giant," he called back, wiping Fred's wet cheeks gently with his thumb. "Or demons."

"I'm sorry," the little girl said, looking up at the vampire with watery brown eyes. She knew she'd done something bad, even if it hadn't seemed like it at the time. It was only a simple dissection, like she'd seen on TV. "Sorry," she said again.

"I don't think it's Angel you need to apologise to," Wesley said softly but firmly, slipping his hand into Fred's and walking her over to Krev and Lorne.

The ex watcher paused slightly at the four hysterical children, it was weird how they came out of their shells more in a group, however after hearing a slightly rude suggestion involving snakes, from his younger self, he hurried Fred away.

"Sorry," she said honestly, staring up at the small alien.

Krev looked at her suspiciously and touched his bangaged stomach, letting out an exaggerated sigh, and then waiting to see her reaction.

Rather than apologising or crying with regret, as the young demon had hoped, Fred smiled suddenly, her eyes lighting up. If she couldn't dissect the alien, then maybe she could be friends with it. That would be one of the coolest things ever. Mommy and Daddy would have to believe they excisted if she became friends with one.

"You need new clothes," she observed, spotting his blood stained shirt.

Krev nodded, still silently, not completely trusting the smiling child.

Wes looked at Mini Fred's eager face and sighed. Was she meant to have stopped feeling guilty so soon? Was she meant to be punished for what she'd done? Had the shock been enough?

A small tug at his arm stopped his silent questioning and he lifted Krev off of Lorne's lap, just as said demon informed someone down the phone that it wasn't a good idea to "poke it", causing the four children to start another burst of laughter.

"I'm taking Krev to find some clothes," Wesley called across to Angel, who was becoming strangely involved in the snake "discussion" between the kids.

* * *

Fred looked down at the floor away from Gunn's gaze. They both knew what was going to happen, however neither of them wanted to make the first move. 

Gunn's words echoed around her head, _"You mean have a meaningful conversation, the way that two people who love each other are supposed to" _and her reply of _"Fine. We'll do this,"_ sounded so harsh on replay in her mind.

It wasn't right though, to take things out on Gunn. It was her confusion, her problem. And if she really felt something for Wes, even if it was only a very mild attraction, was it right to string Gunn along?

Without realising it, Fred turned away and held her head in her hands; things had been different since they'd murdered Professor Seidel, they both knew it.

"I can't do this any more," Gunn said softly, fighting the words as they came out of his mouth. "I'm tired of you looking everwhere, but at me," he explained, his point proven by the fact that she was facing away from him. He'd always love Fred, but she wouldn't feel the same, and he knew that.

* * *

Cordy stopped walking just long enough for Connor to catch up. He may have had super human speed, but he was no match for a deturmined Cordelia Chase. After her terrifying vision, she'd needed time to think, and Connor had followed, insisting she shouldn't go alone. Somehow, a few hours later, they'd ended up in the alley way behind the old Caritas. 

"Oh my God," she gasped as she finally took in her surroundings."Darla."

"My mother?" Connor asked, his voice automatically full of unwanted emotion.

"She died here," Cordelia told him gently."This is where you were born."

Before Connor had a chance to react to that statement, the ground began to shake causing an almighty rumbling sound, as cracks began appearing in the alley way. Pieces of concrete fired out as the ground broke, and something burst out surrounded in blinding red light. Something Cordy immedietly recognised from her vision.

* * *

"Tada!" Little Fred cried as Krev followed her down the stairs, in one of Lorne's colourful silk suits, especially adjusted for the tiny demon. 

"Wow," Angel mouthed.

"Well, aren't you just the cutest thing?" Lorne announced proudly, noticing the amazing likeness his younger self had to him.

"Birdies," Charlie cried suddenly, directing everyone's attention away from Krev's new outfit. "Birdies!"

Angel followed his delighted gaze to the door of the Hyperion, where hundreds of birds could be seen flying towards them.

Charlie gasped as the first one hit the glass, leaving a red mark, unable to remove his eyes as more and more birds smashed against the panes.

"This isn't a good sign," Angel said dryly, as he grabbed the kids and pulled them away from the sickening sight.

* * *

The next chapter will hopefully be both longer, and quicker! Please review! 


	8. Black and White

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's note: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Thanks to: Darklight, MysticWolf1, Wesfan1234, Tess LaCalme, Gigi13, Kinzie, and Nookyfiction for reviewing!

Again, thanks to Little Illy for your really helpful and long review! In response to a few things: I am gonna start giving brief explanations for the contrast in Gunn/Charlies behaviour, the same for Lorne/Krev, in case you were wondering. lol. And the time thingy - I'm gonna really start messing around with some of the events. lol. So I'd love some tips if you've got any, on how to stop people getting confused. Also, in my last chapter, when it cut from the Hyperion to Cordy and Connor, a few hours were meant to have passed between the change of settings. I guess it wasn't that obvious. lol. Thanks for your review!

* * *

Krev sank down into the corner, creasing his new silk suit in a way that Lorne would have cringed at, however, the five year old demon had other things to worry about, as more and more birds continued exploding against the glass of the door, and windows.

Charlie flopped down beside him, the little boy's cry of "Birdies" still ringing in the air. Gunn's younger self had spent his first few years being shielded from images of a disturbing nature, and was unnaturally innocent compared to the man that Angel Investigations had grown to know and love.

Of course, when Krev had his stomach "cut open" or "scratched" to anyone who wasn't five, Charlie had been naturally curious and intreged by the blood, but somehow that wasn't the same as watching bloodied carcuses bounce from the glass panes.

Not everyone shared his opinion however, Cordelia, despite not wanting to spend too much time with Mini Fred - She had popular friends back home, just ask Harmony Kendall - the small brunette had joined the tiny physicist for a front row seat. Meaning, they sat and looked out the window, ignoring Angel's protest.

"Maybe," Fred whispered to the intimidating girl next to her. "They might let me have a dead birdy to experiment on." Her eyes lit up at the thought. This was yet another opportunity for the child to practise the thing she loved best, and she was obviously excited. Now, if only she could get her hands on some tacos ...

Cordelia interupted her thoughts, responding to the comment by screwing up her nose in disgust and letting out an "Eww!" which surprised even herself with it's strength.

Little Wesley looked over ather with a puzzled expression: he'd never understand girls. Not that he'd want to, of course, Father said a Watcher in Training should never get tied down, and Father was always right.

He turned back to his lengthy explanation of radios to Liam, who was starting to get bored. Compared to Wesley, the child had a low attention span, but then again, compared to Wesley, so did most people.

"Don't you know what this means?" Cordy asked Fred, in her most grown-up voice, knowing that she didn't. "There's going to be an apocanipse," she explained, pronouncing it wrong. "I'm from Sunnydale, and there's always an apocanipse there."

Fred nodded, taking in every word, and not commenting on the pronounciation, although she longed to.

Angel looked over at Cordelia in surprise; he'd been certain she'd only just descovered demons when he first met her in Sunnydale. The vampire didn't spend long on the thought though, it was perfectly natural for young children to grow up and begin to blame things on their imagination.

He suspected that Cordy had once started to do the very same thing, at least until she met Buffy.

* * *

The Beast, as everyone would soon begin to know him as, towered above Cordelia and Connor, casting a terrifying horned shadow on the pavement, glaring menicingly down at the pair.

Connor pulled out a sword mere seconds before he felt the sensation of being flung across the alley. His body crashed into a steel dumpster and slid to the floor.

"Connor!" Cordelia cried, concerned for him, but wary for her own safety. She risked a worried glance towards the dumpster, letting her guard down long enough for the Beast to grab her by the throat.

Connor hauled himself up, oblivious to any injuries he may have obtained, and pulled his sword out again.

The Beast let go of Cordy's throat and she fell several feet through the air, landing on her back, desperately trying to crawl away.

Two enormous hoofed feet turned slowly, and Connor found himself being painfully reunited with the dumpster.

With a single effort, the Beast leapt into the air, and was gone, a cruel laugh echoing behind it.

Cordelia crawled over to Connor and put a thumb gently on his bleeding lip.

"I think it's time we went to Angel."

* * *

"Oh, you think?" Lilah demanded, giving no doubt that whatever the person on the other end of the phone had thought, was either wrong, or not what she wanted to hear. "Well, don't. Just shut up, and get me an incident report, cross-referenced by ..."

The lawyer slammed the phone shut mid-sentence as she heard familiar footsteps.

Wesley had left the Hyperion as soon as it was safe to venture out without fear of being attacked by thousands of birds. He'd been sure there were books at his apartment which could help with the research.

"Lilah," he said, his voice a mixture of surprise, annoyance, and relief, if such a tone was possible. "You're alright," he observed, unsure what had been happening in other parts of the area. Dead sparrows for them, God-knows-what for everyone else.

"Wolfram and Hart," she explained. "FYI - Safest place in case of an apocalypse." She leant in to kiss him. He stepped back.

"I can't do this any more," he said, echoing the words that Gunn had said earlier that very day.

Lilah smiled, confident in her power to make him retract that statement. "I've heard that a million times, and we both know how it ends," she said sweetly, her face close to his.

"It's over," he repeated, not moving away, but his expression staying the same.

She stepped back. "You're serious?"

Wesley's face softened as he saw a pained look appear in her eyes. "I don't know what's coming," he said gently but firmly. "I'm choosing a side."

"Sure it's the right one?" She hissed, determined to demolish any signs of hurt or disappointment. "You've made mistakes before, and you're making a big one now."

Wesley sighed. "There is a line, Lilah. Good and evil. Black and white."

Fury danced noticeably in her eyes as she said calmly, in her usual sarcastic voice, "Funny thing about black and white. You mix it together and get grey."

Wes narrowed his eyes in confusion, trying to see her point. She turned away from him and took a few steps towards to the edge of the room.

"And it doesn't matter how much white you try and put back in, you only get grey."

Lilah opened the door, her voice not wavering even slightly as an uncharacteristic tear escaped from one of her hate filled eyes. She blinked it back and no more came. How dare Wesley make her, Lilah Morgan, feel like this?!

"And I don't see your Texan-Gal-Pal wearing that colour. Come to think of it, she prefers black."

Lilah slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Gunn came into the lobby, a crossbow swinging naturally from his arm, just as Angel turned to yell for him.

Connor looked at Cordy, his cut lip now swollen. "Ready?" he asked.

Angel replied for her. "What about Fred?"

Gunn's face flickered for a moment, their relationship was over, maybe not officially, but he knew it was, just as well as Fred did. There was no point denying it to himself, although his feelings were still as strong towards her.

"She's not coming," he said, leaving no room for argument.

Angel nodded. "Lorne?"

"The Munchkins'll be fine with me," the demon assured him.

"Let's go then."

The four left the hotel, Connor in front, following the trail of the Beast. After just one encounter, the scent was easy to pick up.

Easy to pick up, and close.

* * *

Please review!


	9. Always An Apocanipse

Disclaimer: I don't own and of the characters, and I don't own season 4.

Author's note: I feel quite bad about this chapter, because nothing good seems to happen. lol. Please review anyway, and there'll be lots of fluff next chapter!

Thanks to: MysticWolf1, Marcus Lazarus, Tess LaCalme, nookyfiction, Home And Charmed, Wesfan1234, Lacie, and Little Illy, for reviewing.

* * *

"So, Kiddos," Lorne said with an uneasy smile. He loved them all to pieces, but being alone with six children wasn't his idea of a relaxing evening. "What do you ..."

Cordy broke him off with a sweet smile on her face, one Lorne should have known not to trust. "I'm gonna find Fred," she told him. "The adult one."

None of the kids really understood what was going on with themselves, and their older versions, nor had they tried to. They just found it confusing having more than one person with the same name.

"Me too," Charlie cried, leaping up. If Cordy wanted to do it, then he did to.

"Oh," Lorne sighed. "Ok, then." They'd be safe with Fred, and it wasn't like he had much of a choice; he knew from experience what happened to children who didn't get their own way, and he'd seen Wes eyeing up the weapons cabinet

"I'm just gonna fix myself a sea breeze," he called after them, all six having decided to leave. "Then I'll be right with ... "

They'd gone.

Lorne smiled. Sure, he was a push over, no, he wasn't proud of it, but hey, happy children was a plus, right?

* * *

With Connor's amazing tracking skills, they had soon found the Beast, however that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Despite Angel and his gang clearly outnumbering their opponent, as well as being fully armed, nothing had prepared them for what lay ahead.

They stopped dead in their tracks.

The Beast laughed, and threw the man he was currently holding by the foot, so he landed outside the freshly made square of bodies.

Then he turned to Angel.

Each armed, Gunn and Wesley took a side of the Beast, Angel going straight for him, sword in hand.

* * *

Although she wasn't the most sensitive child in the world, Cordelia Chase could always sense when something wasn't right around her. Therefore when she had picked up on Gunn's harsh tone, and the fact that Fred wasn't leaving the hotel, the five year old just had to find out what was happening.

Pushing open Fred's door, six children huddled behind her, Cordelia whispered "Hi" and barged her way through.

Fred turned over on her bed to face them, looking uncharacteristically down, but yet her eyes showed no sign of tears.

"Are you sad because your boyfriend doesn't love you?" Cordy asked bluntly.

"Don' worry," Wesley told her softly. "No one loves me either."

Of course that wasn't true, but Roger Wyndham-Price had always said that love slows a watcher down, and that was never to happen.

"Nor me," Krev spoke up bravely. He didn't like to speak, for fear of being branded crazy, just because no one else in his family could hear music. "Mother makes me sit on the dung pile."

"Father says I'm an ungrateful swine, and the demons will surely get me," Liam said, not wanting to be left out.

This time Fred's eyes filled with tears, and she got up, hugging the three boys close to her.

"Don't ever say that," she warned them softly. "There's always some one who loves you."

"Like you?" Little Fred asked softly, feeling slightly guilty that she had no sob story to share. She came from a loving family, with parents who always cared for her, even when she drew on the walls, or ate too many tacos.

"Yes, like me," Fred assured her, hugging the little girl as well, her own troubles with Gunn forgotten. "And Angel, and Lorne, and everyone else."

Cordelia sighed. No one was paying attention to her. She just didn't understand; her parents bought her whatever she wanted, and spent as much money as they could. What did love have to do with it?

"Come on," she whispered to Charlie, who, like mini Fred, was feeling guilty about his loving parents, who doted on him and his baby sister Alonna. "Let's find something fun to do."

* * *

The Beast grabbed Angel's sword, broke it in half, and flung the vampire across the top of the building they stood on. He collided with a column, shattering it to pieces.

Wasting no time, Gunn hurled his battle axe at it, only to have his weapon bent and thrown back, He ducked. Nothing was working.

Angel leapt back up, with Connor and Cordelia shooting arrows simultaneously. The Beast laughed, deflecting them with his forearm, causing each arrow to rebound into Angel. As the vampire doubled over in pain, the Beast saw his chance and grabbed him, throwing him out into the city, and off the edge of the building.

"No!" Wesley cried out, as the Beast knelt on one knee, punching the floor, sending a trail of fire across the rooftop. The Beast leapt up into the sky, riding the fire he'd created.

* * *

Charlie noticed it first and ran to the window. "What's that?" he asked Cordy in fear, as tiny fireballs fell from the sky.

She shrugged, not really caring. "There's always an apocanipse," she explained vaguely.

* * *

Connor burst through the door of the Natural History Museum, where they'd been staying, Cordelia just behind him.

The city was raining fire, and somehow he felt it was his fault. And that night, as he made love to Cordelia, he could sense that the worst was just beginning.

* * *

TBC: Sorry about the lack of fun stuff in this chapter. I promise the next one will be full of fluff! 

MysticWolf1: Really sorry about the last bit with Cordy/Connor, but at least Ididn't go into detail, right?

Please review!


	10. Lack Of Maggot Piles

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

Author's note: Here's a nice long update. lol. Please review!

Thanks to, Tiffnya, Kelley: TheSelfToastablePopTart, ReganX, Little Illy, MysticWolf1, Ka-Mia2286, and nookyfiction, for reviewing,

Little Illy: About the whispering and barging thing. I was trying to make some sort of ironic contrast or something. lol. Like, Cordy was gonna barge through anyway, but she stopped to whisper "hi", I guess it didn't work. lol.

* * *

_Connor broke away from Cordelia's kiss. "Why?" he asked. "Why did you ... ?"_

_She touched his face tenderly. "Because I don't think it matters anymore."_

Connor opened his eyes slowly, memories of the night before filling his head in no particular order. He rolled over, slightly surprised to find he wasn't alone. Smiling at Cordelia's gentle rhythmic breathing, he reached out and softly stroked her back.

She moved away from him.

Connor pulled his hand back and sat up, confused and shocked. He hadn't forced her into anything. She had been the one in control and they both knew it.

"Why?" he muttered, as he pulled on a pair of jeans, hurt by just one movement of rejection.

* * *

_"So Angel knows about our relationship," Wesley said dismissively. "Big deal."_

_Lilah's eyes flashed open. She climbed on top of him with a smile. "A dollar," she said seductively, silky red material brushing against Wesley's chest. "You owe me a dollar."_

_Wesley's eyes crinkled with confusion._

_"You called this a relationship," Lilah continued, kissing his forehead. "You lost the bet."_

A noise behind her snapped Lilah back to reality, but she didn't turn around. Instead she continued staring out the window, watching fire rain down on the city, just like it had done the night before. The bright sunlight of the clear day did nothing to stop the image of destruction she continued to watch.

"Why are you still here?"

"Intel confirms that it was the creature which triggered the pyrotechnics last night," Gavin said from behind her, slightly curious what she was looking at, as he could see nothing of interest. "They're just not sure why."

Lilah ignored him. "The senior partners want us to try and cut a deal with it," she said turning around, unaware of why she felt the need to explain anything to Gavin. "It wants the same things we do. The partners feel it might speed things along."

"What if it's not interested?"

"I'll change its mind."

Gavin paused for a moment as Lilah turned back to the window.

_"Sign it first," Lilah smiled, as Wesley handed her a dollar. "As proof."_

_"Proof of what?" he asked._

_"Of now," she said softly, kissing him. "Of this."_

"What about your plan for Angel?" Gavin continued, sensing a chance to acquire information from the unusually unfocused lawyer. "Don't tell me you're giving up on it."

"Don't tell me you care," she quipped back, not as unfocused as Gavin had thought. It took more than a man, especially a man like Wesley Wyndham Price, to put her off her work. However, the truth was, her plan for Liam was going to have to wait. The Beast was much more important.

* * *

"I have a fun game," Cordy told Charlie, her eyes sparkling at the idea. 

"Princesses?" he lisped shyly, remembering that to be a game she'd mentioned before.

Cordy sighed angrily. "I told you," she said. "Princesses isn't something you play, it's something you are. Like me."

"What game then?" he asked, secretly wondering where the others were. Not that he didn't want to spend time with Cordelia, but it was unusually quiet.

She smiled mischievously. "Flying."

* * *

Wesley paused outside Fred's bedroom, Gunn just behind him. The pair's injuries from the Beast weren't as bad as had been expected, so with the help of a few bandages, they were soon patched up. 

"Should have known Lorne couldn't cope," Wes joked, seeing four children curled up with Fred, fast asleep.

Gunn looked into the room too, and felt an unusual feeling in his stomach. He wasn't ready to see Fred like that yet. "I'm just gonna ..."

Wes nodded, fully understanding. "Find Lorne," he suggested. "And see if Angel's back yet."

Gunn disappeared, and Wesley went quietly into Fred's room.

Liam looked up at him as he entered, "Shhhhh," he whispered, not asleep as Wesley had thought.

The ex watcher smiled at the little boy, and remained quiet as he had been told.

"She is sad because her boyfriend does not love her," Krev said stiffly, making an effort to talk to these 'cows,' or 'humans' as Angel had insisted. He had already been comforted by the lack of maggot piles, and people calling him crazy, so the little demon was determined to make an attempt at friendship.

"Oh," Wes said silently, torn between feeling jealousy that Fred was pining for Gunn, or sympathy and understanding for her pain.

"Will you be her new boyfriend?" Little Fred asked sleepily. "You could buy her tacos."

"Or play with weapons," Little Wesley suggested, realising no one else was keeping up the pretence of being asleep.

"I could," Wes agreed with a smile.

"Father doesn't like me playing with weapons," Little Wes continued. "But I bet he'd let you, coz you're really really big!"

Liam grinned. "And Fred is really really big," he said, continuing for Wes. "Not you though," he explained to the little Fred next to him. "You could play weapons together."

"And listen to music," Krev spoke up happily.

"And then eat tacos!" Mini Fred cried, launching herself on to Wesley in her excitement.

He caught the little girl easily and smiled. "You've got this all planned out, haven't you?"

Four faces nodded back at him.

A movement from the bed made them fall silent. "Do I get a say in this?" Fred asked, rubbing her eyes.

"No." Liam told her.

"Of course," Wes said seriously, putting Little Fred down.

The physicist thought for a while, smiling inwardly at all their eager faces. "Well," she said slowly. "If the world's gonna end, then we'd better do it soon."

* * *

"Connor," Lilah smiled. "As if the last few hours haven't brought enough surprises." 

Connor didn't smile back. He stood in the doorway, completely still.

Cordelia had rejected him, and he knew why. It was obvious. The Beast had risen in the same place as he was born. He was connected to it, and Cordelia knew. No wonder she didn't want him.

"I have questions."

"Sneaking into the building," Lilah observed. "You really are like your old man, aren't you?"

"Let's find out," he said dryly, almost a challenge. "I want to know why I'm here."

* * *

"Come on," Cordy cried, her hand in Charlie's, as she pulled him up stairs after stairs. "We have to go really high if we wanna fly." 

"I don't wanna ... "

Cordy ignored him. This was her favourite game ever. "Here we go," she said happily, as she reached an open window.

"I don't ... " Charlie said again.

"But its fun," Cordy assured him, snatching his beloved 'Blankie' from him, and knotting it around his shoulders. "This'll be your para ... para-shoo ... thing to stop you dying," she said cheerfully, the word 'Dying' not scaring her in the slightest.

"Aren't you doing it?" Charlie asked nervously, in awe of the bossy girl.

"Nuh-uh," she replied, smoothing down her dress. "I might ruin my clothes."

He nodded.

"All you gotta do is stand up there," she pointed to the window ledge. "And jump. Your para-thing will make you fly."

Charlie did as she said. He didn't want to seem like a Scaredy-Cat in front of her. And she was probably right about flying; she was usually right about other things.

The five year old brunette giggled to herself. Charlie was just too easy to tease. No one else she'd ever tried 'Flying' with, had ever gone this far.

"Charlie," she laughed, about to explain that the game was just to make someone believe something silly.

But he'd gone.

Charlie had jumped.

Cordelia screamed and burst into tears. It was only a game.

* * *

Angel sat outside the Hyperion lost in his thoughts. It was a sunny day, but he was shaded by plants. 

Connor and Cordelia.

He'd seen it with his own eyes, and it sickened him.

A faint scream caught his ears, and he stood up just in time to see a dark blur fall through the sky. Angel ran out, giving no thought to the sun, and caught the little boy effortlessly, batting away the fire as he dived into the shade.

Charlie looked up at him with tear stained eyes. "That was fun," he lisped, making sure to remember to tell Alonna when he got home.

* * *

"That demon you're seeking," Connor explained. "I think I'm connected to it." 

Lilah nodded, one foot tapping against the desk she sat on. "Gavin," she said, "Why don't you get our young friend a copy of ... "

The lights went out.

" ... Your report." Lilah finished, undisturbed, as the building began to shake violently.

* * *

Please review! 

And I updated "Scented Dust and Mislaid Souls," (The one with Maya)


	11. Big Fat Meanie

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

Author's note: Thanks to, Ka-mia2286, ReganX, nookyfiction, MysticWolf1, Kelley:TheSelfToastablePopTart, Little Illy, and Moonjava, for reviewing!

* * *

"It's here," Connor said, jumping to the right conclusion. "The Beast." He knew why it was here too, there were too many coincidences for it not to be connected to him. No wonder Cordelia didn't want him.

"It's probably just an aftershock," Lilah said calmly, almost unaware of the violent shaking.

Unconvinced, Gavin tried the phone, "Line's dead," he muttered, knowing Lilah was watching him with an amused smile.

She rolled her eyes and handed him a two way radio. He took it from her almost gratefully; not such a smug bastard when he felt his life was at stake.

"This is Gavin Park to the front desk. Over," he paused. "Come in front desk."

A scream sounded through the room. "This is the front desk," someone choked out. " Mr Park, we're kinda ... "

There was more screaming.

Lilah stared at Gavin, unimpressed, her arms folded. "Tell him to stop whining and make a report," she instructed as a terrified cry of "Oh my God" came through the radio.

* * *

"Cordelia!" Angel called, entering the lobby with a tearful Charlie, half crying because he thought his beloved Cordy was in trouble, and half because his first thought when Angel caught him, was to tell Alonna. But he didn't know where she was, and he missed his baby sister very much, even if she did smell sometimes. "Cordelia Chase!"

The little girl tiptoed down the stairs meekly, her hands behind her back, the picture of innocence. She looked up at Angel with wide eyes, the way she had learnt adults found irresistible.

Angel, however, was no normal adult, and there was no way he was buying her act. "You've got some explaining to do."

Cordy lowered her eyes, slightly annoyed that it hadn't worked, and instead buried her head in her hands, letting out dramatic sobs.

Angel waited patiently for a few seconds, until he saw the little girl peek through her fingers at him to see his reaction.

Sighing at his lack of response, she lowered her hands revealing dry eyes. "You'd better not yell at me," she said seriously. "Coz my daddy says I'm Princess C, and one day I'll be Queen C, and then I'll kick your ass if you're mean to me."

"First," Angel said calmly, putting Charlie down and folding his arms. "Don't say 'Ass'."

"You just did," Cordy sulked.

Angel ignored her. "Secondly, I expect you to apologise to Charlie."

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Like you mean it."

"It's not my fault he's stupid," she argued, folding her arms like Angel, with an equally determined look on her face. It wasn't like she pushed him out the window or anything; Angel was just being a big fat meanie.

"Not stupid," Charlie lisped, his thumb in his mouth.

"You are!" she insisted, stamping her foot.

"Cordelia," Angel interrupted wearily, unsure what to do with the difficult child. He'd like to have sent her to her room; however sleeping accommodations were still very undecided. "Go to my office," he decided.

She didn't argue, just stomped off, making a point of slamming down each foot noisily. It wasn't fair. She was only playing a game. He wasn't even meant to jump. Charlie was just an idiot, and Angel was just a meanie.

"And don't come out until you're ready to apologise," Angel called after her.

* * *

A man screamed as the Beast threw him across the room, crashing into the sign saying "Wolfram and Hart, Attorneys at law." It killed him instantly, his body dropping alongside many others in a crumpled heap.

The Beast laughed, making his way to the stairwell, snapping the necks of anyone who got in his way.

XXXX

Gavin fumbled his way through shelves of toilet paper, panic causing a lack of coordination, and his brain to feel numb.

He knew there was a passage in the closet somewhere. He knew there was a way out. He knew ...

... The Beast was right behind him.

Gavin never got the chance to turn around. He was dead before he hit the floor.

* * *

Fred lay back, totally relaxed, letting her head submerge under the water for a while, breathing out causing bubbles.

She rarely got the chance to have a bath, it was always quick showers between jobs, and she was determined to enjoy this one. The kids were with Wesley, so there was no reason for her to be disturbed. Not that she'd mind Wesley disturbing her of course.

Fred sat up.

Wesley? She wouldn't mind Wesley disturbing her?

A few days ago it would have been Gunn she was thinking about.

Wesley though? Could she really see him as _Wesley? _If he knocked on her door that very second, would she let him in?

A coincidental knock on the door made her jump.

"Fred?" asked a little voice she'd learnt to recognise as Liam.

"We've got you a ... " Krev continued with a pause.

"Present," Mini Fred whispered.

"Present," Krev repeated, then Fred heard him whisper, "Would the killing of a Drokken not be better?"

She smiled, recognising the name of a Pylean demon and remembering Krev's kind weren't big on giving gifts.

"No," Little Wes whispered, making a mental note to look up Drokkens.

Fred grabbed a towel and stepped out of the bath, just as a piece of paper was pushed under the door.

She picked it up and two brightly coloured stick figures stared back, one with a triangle skirt on, which Fred guessed was meant to be her, the other looking very pleased to see her, and not just because of the huge smile on his face.

Before Fred had the chance to worry about what sort of adult content the five year old children had been exposed to, she noticed the writing at the top of the page. "Wesly and Fred plain wepins," which had been crossed out and rewritten by Mini Fred to say, "Wesley and Fred playing weapons."

She smiled guiltily at letting her imagination get the better of her. He hadn't been that pleased to see her; he was just holding a sword.

"I love it," she told the kids eagerly waiting on the other side of the door.

Wesley? _Wesley? _

Yeah, she could see it.

* * *

"Angel?" Cordelia called, walking into the lobby. "You have a minute?"

Charlie looked up at her curiously; he remembered seeing her before.

"It's about Connor."

Angel walked over, expecting her to be about to confess to sleeping with his son. "I already know."

"You do?" she asked, confused.

Before Angel had the chance to respond, Wesley called for him from the top of the stairs.

"Lilah phoned," he explained breathlessly as he joined them. "The Beast is at Wolfram and Hart."

"Why did she feel the need to tell us?" Angel almost snapped, directing his feelings about Cordelia to Wes. Lilah never involved them unless she had to.

"It would seem Connor is also in the building."

* * *

Little Cordelia sighed; she hated being in trouble. She climbed down off of Angel's desk, leaving the important documents she'd folded into paper aeroplanes, and peered around the door.

She'd give him one chance, only one.

"Where's my present?" the tiny brunette demanded, her hands on her hips.

"I don't have time for this Cordelia," Angel said distractedly, already making plans to go to Wolfram and Hart.

Mini Cordy glared at him behind her back, before focusing her attention on the other Cordy. "You have the same name as me," she commented. "But my hair's nice, and yours isn't."

Cordy put her hand to her head, the same way she did last time the little girl mentioned her short blonde cut.

"Why do you want a present?" Wes asked her curiously.

The little girl sighed, "Angel was a big fat meanie, and yelled at me," she explained. "When Daddy yells at me, he always buys me presents to say sorry."

The older Cordelia found herself nodding at the child's statement.

"You should say sorry, not Angel," Charlie told her bravely.

Cordy stamped her foot, turned, and ran out the room. Daddy always bought her presents, and if Angel wouldn't, then she'd just have to find her way home. Find her way back to daddy.

* * *

I know this was very Cordy-centric, but I'm hoping nobody minds, as long as I include the others more in the next chapter.

TBC: Little Cordy and some of the kids have an encounter with the Beast.

Please review!


	12. A Royal Wench

Disclaimer: I own no one ... yet.

Author's note: Thanks to, Moonjava, Ka-mia2286, ReganX, Marcus Lazarus, nookyfiction, Darklight, Euley, Little Illy, SpecialEddie, rcaqua, angel-cordy, and Digital-Dragon-Master, for reviewing the previous chapter!

Your reviews mean so much to me! lol.

Oh, and I started a new Buffy story called "Born Yesterday," if anyone wants to read and review it.

* * *

"Cordy," Liam called, as the five year old ran past him at 100 miles an hour. "Come see our picture." 

The little girl didn't stop running, even though she knew she'd regret it when her hair got all knotty as a result.

"It was a present for Fred," Krev informed the blur, sounding slightly less stiff. "Something cow ... humans like even more than killing Drokkens."

"They're playing weapons," Wes yelled, as Cordy sped further down the corridor.

"Bang, bang, CRASH," Liam added happily.

A door slammed.

"Father says it's rude to slam doors," Wes said seriously, no longer yelling.

Liam nodded in agreement. "Father would be sure to call her a filthy wench for that."

"Liam!" Fred scolded gently, her wet hair still dripping from the bath.

Little Fred took her hand out of Fred's, and sighed in a very grownup way. "I'll go and speak to her," she said responsibly, pointing to the room which Cordy had shut herself in. Then, before anyone could stop her, the tiny Texan ran after her potential friend, just as Krev spoke up, "What's a wench?"

* * *

Lilah collapsed against a wall, moaning in pain, her hands clutching her stomach. Her legs gave way, and she fell onto the floor. 

"Lilah?"

Her head span, pictures occasionally coming into focus, a male voice drifting in and out of her mind.

"Stay with me Lilah."

And then she was on her feet, being helped to her desk. "Wesley?" she asked feebly.

"What was that?" he asked suddenly, confirming that it was him, as a loud crash of metal clanged outside the room.

"The fat lady singing," she quipped, her head rolling back.

"Lilah!" he said again, shaking her gently, noticing her bleeding stomach for the first time. "What happened?"

"It was a game," she said sarcastically, despite her injuries, looking down at the red patch on her shirt, where the Beast had plunged his hand into her abdomen, "How many fingers can we stick into Lilah before she screams." The lawyer paused with a pained laugh. "We used to play that, remember?"

Gunn turned to Angel, having watched the scene silently. "Them two?" he mouthed in confusion.

Angel gave a brief nod.

"Dude, that's just weird," Gunn continued. "It's like ... "

"Where's Connor?" Angel demanded, interrupting Gunn and causing Lilah to jump; she hadn't realised anyone else was there.

"Fighting the good fight," she said dismissively, turning back to Wes who had started inspecting her wound. "The building automatically shuts down under full scale attack," she warned him.

"Lilah!" Angel tried again.

"Windows, doors, air vents. Nobody gets in or out."

"Where's Con ... "

The door crashed down and the Beast stood, menacingly, in the space where it should have been.

"Oh boy," Gunn muttered.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Little Fred asked shyly, as Cordelia emptied drawer after drawer. She didn't know what she was looking for yet, but she would when she found it. 

"Nothing," the little girl lied. "Why?"

Fred sat on the bed, playing with her thumbs nervously. "Just wondered, is all."

Cordy stopped what she was doing and sighed dramatically. "I'm going to find Daddy," she explained, making an effort to sound big and brave. If she had to tell someone, then they might as well be in awe of her.

Fred's eyes widened, "Nuh-uh," she said in disbelief.

Cordelia nodded, sitting on the bed next to Fred. "Don't you wanna find your daddy too?"

Fred thought for a moment. She did miss her parents a lot, even more than tacos, but she knew they'd find her in the end, not the other way around. Her mommy and daddy always found her, even when she wasn't lost, just like she always found Feigenbaum, even when he fell down the side of her bed. "No."

"Are your parents mean?" Cordy asked in a sympathetic tone, unable to think of any other reason why she wouldn't want to find them. "Mine are sometimes. Daddy said I can't have a car till I'm a lot bigger," she held out both hands, "Maybe not even till I'm 10!"

The door creaked open and Krev stuck his head around. "Are you a wench?" he asked Cordy, unable to get an explanation out of a speechless Fred.

"Yes," Cordelia decided, unsure what it meant, but certain it was something good, maybe like a Princess. "A Royal wench."

* * *

"Come on Lilah," Wesley insisted, an arm around her waist, guiding her to safety. "There must be a way out." 

"Poor Bastard," she said dryly, noticing Gavin's body outside the supply closet where he had been trying to escape. Then she realised, "It's in there."

Wesley helped her inside without questioning it, closing the door and leaving Gunn and Angel with the Beast.

Lilah began rifling through the rolls of toilet paper, just as Gavin had done, while Wes watched her curiously, "Are you sure this is ... " he began.

Lilah, pulling on a lever, didn't answer him. He could see for himself that the gaping hole in the wall meant she'd found a way out.

XXXXXXX

The Beast glared at Angel, its eyes shining red.

The vampire glared back, both him and Gunn armed with weapons.

"Connor."

At the sound of the Beast's gravely voice, Angel realised it hadn't been looking at him at all, but behind him, at his son.

Angel turned quickly, "Connor," he said in relief, although aware that the Beast had said it two seconds before. "Thank God."

"Uh ... Angel," Gunn started, getting his attention, as an earth shattering crash sounded through the halls of Wolfram and Hart. "Looks like our friend had an elsewhere to be."

The vampire turned again in confusion, to see a huge hole in the ceiling, and no Beast. "Damn!"

* * *

"I bet my mommy and daddy will be pleased to see me," Cordy thought aloud, with a happy smile. "They'll probably have lots of presents." 

Fred walked beside her silently, regretting following the little girl already. However, the tiny physicist hadn't wanted to see Cordy in danger, so she'd stupidly gone after her to make sure she was safe.

"Mine won't be pleased," Krev said sadly. "Mother says I belong on the maggot pile."

"Why are you here then?" Cordelia demanded, honestly confused. If he didn't want to go home, then why had he followed her?

Krev shrugged. He, like Fred, had been thinking the same thing. He'd only wanted to know what a wench was, and Cordy had said that they were like Princesses who looked for their parents.

"Go away then," she continued, annoyed to be held back by a confused demon.

He looked around at the dark surroundings and shook his head. He wasn't courageous like the rest of the Deathwok Clan, and he didn't want to go anywhere alone at night.

Cordy sighed angrily, just as Fred screamed.

A huge demon, larger than any Drokken Krev had ever seen, and made of more rocks, or what looked like rocks, than Cordy's favourite necklace, stood in front of them, with Fred in its hands.

All three children burst into floods of tears.

Fred cried the hardest; all her life she'd wanted other people to believe aliens existed, and now, when one held her in its hands, she really wished they didn't.

"Put her down!" Cordy screamed bravely, stamping her foot. "Put her down, put her down, put her down!"

Strangely enough, the Beast lowered its face to hers and looked her straight in the eye, "Cordelia," it growled.

She leapt back, bumping into Krev, taking them both on to the floor, tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Put her down!" she cried again, sliding backwards across the stony floor as fast as she could, to get away from the Beast.

It stepped back away from the children slowly, gently lowering Fred to the floor. "As you wish."

* * *

TBC: ... 

Please review!


	13. Be a Superhero

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one.

Author's note: Thanks to: Moonjava, angel-cordy, nookyfiction, Digital-Dragon-Master, ReganX, Aqua-Hime, Marcus Lazarus, Little Illy, LouisaB, NotInLove, AllUNeedIsFaith, Sired-by Spike, and Tess LaCalme.

Sorry I haven't updated in AGES AND AGES. I'm gonna try and make my updates more frequent from now on.

Oh, and check out some stories by AllUNeedIsFaith, if you have the time. She writes good stories, but doesn't have many reviews to show for them.

Now, onwards with the story:

* * *

To anyone who knew about the Beast's master, it would be pretty obvious why instructions were given to leave mini Cordelia alone. Clone or no clone, if harm came to the child, harm would come to the adult, and Jasmine knew what that meant for her survival. But for those who knew little, Cordelia's "defeat" of the Beast was something spectacular, at least to the children with her.

"Wow," Fred exclaimed breathlessly, still trembling from her near death experience. "You saved me," she stuttered, shaking too much for her words to come out properly.

She'd always told herself that if she was in one of those horror films which she wasn't allowed to watch, then she wouldn't be scared. She wouldn't let it beat her. She'd be a superhero ... with the power to not let them take her.

... But one almost did.

She was nearly killed, she was clever enough to realise that. But maybe she wasn't clever enough to live in a world filled with walking nightmares, a world where death is all there is. Maybe she was just a frightened little girl who should just accept that she'd never be anything great, and never be a superhero.

Fred looked down at the floor, she'd never thought like that before, and she was terrified that it could be true. "Can we just go, please?" she whispered.

Krev nodded silently, completely in awe of Cordelia, he now understood what Charlie meant when he praised the confident brunette. If only the rest of the Deathwok clan could see her, if they could see who Krev had become friends with, surely they'd welcome him back to the clan? He knew a hero.

"Let's go," Cordy sighed impatiently, desperate to boast about her victory, and hurt that the other two hadn't been showering her with praise. She had saved their lives after all.

* * *

"There's two exits I know of," Angel said, supplying all the information he'd stored from studying plans of the building, and from breaking into it. "Third floor and lobby."

"They'll be closed off," Connor reminded him, "Lilah said ... "

"What about the Beast?" Gunn interrupted, "Are we just gonna ... ?"

"We got what we came for," Angel said dismissively, referring to Connor. "Now, we go."

"But Junior here just said that the exits are closed off," Gunn continued. "So unless you got some bright idea hidden up your sleeve, we ain't goin' nowhere."

"The White Room," Angel said suddenly, as the idea literally popped into his head. "A gateway," he explained briefly for Gunn's benefit. "There's a little girl there ... or something old and evil that likes to pretend it's a little girl."

Blank faces stared back at him.

"She might be able to help us."

Connor looked around himself at the crumbling building, bodies scattered carelessly throughout the halls and screams of already dead victims echoing through the corridor, "Let's go."

Gunn nodded. "Got my vote."

* * *

Liam sat happily in Fred's used bath water, fully clothed, a pencil in his hand. "Do you think Cordy and Fred and Krev should be back yet?" he asked thoughtfully, scribbling on his piece of paper, careful not to get it wet.

Fred nodded. She'd been thinking the same thing. "Maybe I should go and see," she wondered aloud, not even going to ask why Liam seemed to enjoy sitting in soaking wet clothes.

"No, don't," Wes spoke up bravely, stepping away in case she brought her hand to him for daring to undermine an adult. "Father says you shall benefit from being inquisitive, but get a thrashing for being nosy."

Fred paused to consider what he had told her, and felt her heart go out to the older Wesley in a way it never had for Gunn. He'd clearly suffered through his childhood, and yet still managed to turn into a decent man. Sure, he'd kidnapped Connor, but did that mean he cared any less? Deep down, Fred had never doubted him. He'd only been doing what he thought was right at the time. He was a good man. Her Wesley.

"I can be inkisitif," Charlie offered with his thumb in his mouth, pronouncing the new word badly. He didn't know what it meant, but it was something about finding out why the other three were staying behind a closed door for so long. "I can."

At Fred's nod, he wandered down the corridor slowly and carefully opened the door. "Cordy?" he called, hoping she wouldn't be mad because he disturbed her.

No answer.

Charlie pushed the door open further, and peered round to find an empty room, the curtains billowing like in every film he'd seen.

"They're gone!" he screamed, causing footsteps to race up behind him. "Cordy's gone!"

* * *

There you go: a very short filler chapter.

I'd still appreciate reviews though, and I promise the next update will be twice as long, and include adult Cordelia and Lorne, who we haven't seen in a while, and more Lilah ... as well as the kids of course.

TBC: Mini Cordelia finds out that even though she saved Fred and Krev, she's still in a lot of trouble.


End file.
